Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake will not be attending Sri Lanka’s 16th ‘War Heroes’ commemoration ceremony on May 19, which takes place the day after Tamils commemorate the anniversary of the Mullivaikkal genocide.
In his place, Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara is expected to preside over the state ceremony, according to a report in the Daily Mirror. The Ministry of Defence stated that Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda, and the Marshal of the Sri Lanka Air Force are also scheduled to attend.
Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd.), speaking at a press conference, emphasised the “national significance” of the commemoration, and praised the “brave men and women” of the military and police forces. He stressed the Ministry’s commitment to honouring the legacy of “patriotism, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to duty”.
Ceremonial events, including wreath-laying, military tributes, and state-sponsored programmes by the armed forces and police, are expected to take place island-wide under the coordination of the Ranaviru Seva Authority.
In the Tamil homeland, the same period is marked with mourning and remembrance, as Tamils worldwide mark the anniversary of the genocide at Mullivaikkal, when Sri Lankan armed forces encircled and shelled a designated “No Fire Zone,” killing tens of thousands of Tamil civilians in the final weeks of the war.